News (144)

The University of Nottingham’s catering outlets are some of the most diverse you’ll find on UK university campuses. Driven by competition from the nearby city centre and desires of a sizable international student population, it was the first university in the UK to open a Chinese restaurant on campus and also has an African-Caribbean themed restaurant run by one of its former MBA students. However, that doesn’t mean they've become complacent.

Under the guidance of catering operations director Jonathan Hamblett, the university is listening to student feedback, continuing to innovate, and offer progressive catering options. Their aim is to “reposition much closer to what students find in the high street but still be priced below the high street and well below regional HE peers”.

To achieve this bold goal the university has recently invested £7.5m in catering outlets and are leveraging TUCO sourcing frameworks to give them a competitive advantage.Find out more about the University of Nottingham’s plans and how their TUCO membership has saved them £409,638 in the last year alone, read the full case study.

We’re delighted to announce the new interface between the TUCO website and thefoodpeople’s trend portal – trendhub. This builds on the food and beverage trends predictions that thefoodpeople have authored for TUCO over the last 2 years.

As a TUCO member, you now have access to trendhub, an online food and beverage trends portal from thefoodpeople. As part of this subscription that you can access a plethora of weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual food and beverage trends content in the form of articles, reports, videos and infographics. Trend content can be searched, trawled, shared, starred, commented on, printed and downloaded, you can even create your own trend reports.

Trendhub will keep you inspired and informed about the very latest developments from the world of food and beverage trends from all continents using their unique global trends spotting network.

To access this resource click here. Once in trendhub, a quick and easy way to find your way around is to use the ’take a tour’ function which will quickly familiarize you with the key functions of the trendhub portal. The first time you log in you will be guided through ‘on boarding’ which allows you to set a series of interests and preferences to customise your trendhub experience.

We hope you enjoy being inspired and informed about all matters food and drink trend related through this exciting interface between TUCO members and thefoodpeople.

For trendhub support contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

When you’re a student it’s a good idea to try and balance an often tight budget and eating British food. It is achievable with this savvy guide! Try our tips to make sure that you are getting the most for your money and eating well. Spending less doesn’t necessarily mean compromising on quality, and gone are the days of students making do with living off boiled pasta for three years. Supporting British farmers and producers is completely realistic with this guide, and it really can save you money along the way!

Less is More!

Less is definitely more when it comes to meat and poultry, but this doesn’t have to mean smaller portions. It is far better to fuel your body with better quality protein, and alternate between meat based and vegetarian meals. Scrap bad quality items on your shopping list and replace them with British produce, even it if means eating meat a little less often. There are loads of other ways to make sure that your body gets enough protein, like eating more grains and pulses.

Shop seasonally!

Make the most of shopping seasonally and buy products like berries and asparagus when they are harvested in Britain. Foods that you would normally consider to be out of your budget become affordable when they are in season. This way of shopping also promotes a more varied and interesting diet.

Do your research!

Co-op have pledged to stock only British meat in their stores. This means that when you’re doing your weekly shop, you know the quality is definitely there and you won’t have to spend as long checking labels.

Offers!

It goes without saying, taking advantage of what is on offer on products right across your weekly shop means more money saved and more money left in the budget to treat yourself.

Home Cooking!

Finally, buying British means buying the best quality ingredients for your kitchen. Planning a weekly shop and preparing food from scratch is possible even if you are new to cooking. Check out our recipe cards for simple and affordable British meals.

Being savvy about planning your weekly shop means not only reducing waster but also the money you spend. It can be easy to spend loads on processed food that doesn’t taste great, and before you know it there’s not much money left for you to do anything else. Follow our simple guide to save money and eat well when you’re at uni.

Work out your weekly budget!

The idea of three large chunks of money coming into your bank account from Student Finance might feel novel to you, but it’s surprising how quickly money can be spent. The first week of freshers for one reason or another will most likely be a bit mad, and your spending plan that you drew up before moving into halls just have gone out of the window! So, take some time to pause and recalculate (or calculate for the first time if you haven’t already), what you can afford to spend on food per week for the first term. It always pays off to be a little more generous with yourself so there is some contingency. If you don’t end up spending it all in the first term, then great, but it might just avoid you falling short just before Christmas.

Meal plan like your degree depends on it!

Planning your meals on a weekly chart may sound boring but it really does pay off. Jazz up your chart and make use of those coloured pens that you bought in the run up to uni. A useful tip when it comes to meal planning is doubling up recipes. Offering to cook for yourself and one of your new housemates can be a great way to make friends, and if they return the favour then it’s one less meal to plan for the week. Making double portions also means taking advantage of your new Tupperware. The vegetarian chilli that you made for dinner on Tuesday can be refrigerated and had for lunch on Thursday. This is not only a more economical way of cooking, but it will save you time and means that it’s easier to stick to a healthy food plan.

Think outside of the box!

There will be loads of places on campus that sell fresh, local food for less than you would pay in a supermarket. Check out your student’s union website to see the kinds of events that are planned and if your university holds a weekly market. Buying at these local markets means buying fresh, British produce and supporting local farmers. It is also worth remembering that students get 1-% off at Co-op with an NUS card.

Shop Share!

When you do a shop, it can be a great idea to share the trip with a housemate. If you’re travelling by car this means saving on petrol and when you get to the supermarket you can both make sure that you stick to your meal plan and not get tempted by non-essentials.

Make eating out a special occasion!

All this money that you’re saving on your weekly food shops means that you can afford to make eating out a special occasion. It does not need to be an expensive restaurant but eating out less on a regular basis means that when you do, you can value it more. Schedule in a date night or a lunch with your friends as an incentive to keep working on your meal plans!

TUCO Online is a revolutionary web-based eProcurement system that provides a solution for procurement teams to manage and control supplier trading relationships. It’s designed to improve efficiency, reduce costs, give clients complete visibility over spend and ensure full compliance.

The latest Case study with the University of Brighton showcases hospitality team was one of the first to embrace TUCO Online, a new eProcurement system for the HE sector.

It’s already radically changed the way the university operates Ordering supplies for a busy university campus can be an arduous and frustrating task. Calling supplier after supplier takes time – and then you discover halfway through the process that one company could have given you a cheaper deal.

It was wonderful to see so many of you at the University of Nottingham for the TUCO Conference. It was my fi rst as chair of TUCO and as I walked the halls of the exhibition, speaking to members and suppliers, it made me feel so proud of our TUCO family. The TUCO Awards are a great example of this. The room at the Gala Dinner was full of cheers of support for every individual, team and institution nominated for the awards and it was wonderful to see how much winning a ‘TUCO’ meant to those who got one. We will defi nitely be running the TUCO Awards again and encourage even more of you to enter next year. For those of you who weren’t able to make the TUCO Conference then worry not, as we have a full round up of the event ove r the coming pages, including the winners of the TUCO Awards, issues raised by our keynote and breakout speakers, and highlights of the evening entertainment.

The Conference might be over for another year, but TUCO doesn’t stop! We have a full programme of Study Tours and Academy courses lined up for the coming months, and put a date in your diary for 6th December, the TUCO Winter Conference, which takes place at the University of Strathclyde. Turn to page 12 for a showcase on the university and by the end you’ll be booking your ticket! Let me take this moment to thank everyone who sponsored the TUCO 100 Cycle Challenge, where 14 intrepid cyclists journeyed from Manchester to Nottingham, raising money for my TUCO Chair’s charity, Mary’s Meals. Combined with the money raised at the Gala Dinner, you have raised £12,500, which will help to provide meals to over one million children across the world. That amount is humbling, and don’t forget that we can keep adding to the pot by purchasing the Cupcake kits through Bako North Western!

The health trend continues gathering momentum at an unstoppable rate. Gluten-free and sugar swapping is now the norm, but dairy free has gained importance. Anti-inflammatory ingredients are the new buzz foods, and protein is still the darling of the macronutrient world, but more and more so in its plant and natural forms. Lifestyle diets are less popular as consumers design their own eat-styles, but they are avidly following gurus in wellness for tips and guidance. Our consumers continue to be highly socially responsible.

They still want to know about the provenance of their food, and this extends to products like tea, coffee and chocolate. They continue to eat ethically but the emphasis has shifted to charitable acts for human beings and food wastage, the latter of which is very top of the agenda. The higher quality animal welfare claims of 2016 have become an industry standard, as opposed to a trend. Local is still key, but the importance of ‘small batch’ everything has grown. Craft and process is even more important than before. Within home grown, foraging and urban foraging particularly have become more widespread.

Citations of ‘home made’ continue to pop up everywhere, and we’re now seeing this extend to home made versions of branded old favourites e.g. cola or jaffa cakes. Up in the most influential drinking establishments, the named spirits trend has gone full circle, as simplicity takes hold of menus. Single speciality restaurants continue to constantly come up with novel things to specialise in, and they’re getting competition from food trucks, which are upping their game.

Collaborate and innovate with Match: the new matchmaking service from Food Matters Live – London’s ExCeL on 21-23 November

Are you looking to meet buyers from retail and foodservice? Perhaps you want to build business relationships with UK food and drink manufacturers, or research partnerships with academia? Maybe you are eager to take your emerging brand to the next stage - or keen to find a new export market?

For access to these and many other business connections, take advantage of Match – a new matchmaking service being offered to visitors and exhibitors at this year’s Food Matters Live.

Operating from London’s ExCeL during Food Matters Live on 21-23 November, Match provides an opportunity for professionals across the food and drink industry to use the three-day event to identify potential partners and pre-arrange meetings with them.

Food and drink manufacturers, ingredients suppliers, retailers, distributors, importers, exporters, packaging experts, health professionals, innovative start-ups, High Street names and many others from the UK and internationally are expected to take advantage of the service.

A dedicated Meet the Buyer programme is also available for buyers from retailers and foodservice providers who are looking for innovative companies to meet their business needs at home and overseas.

The matchmaking service is built around key themes, from better-for-you food and drink manufacturing, healthy snacking and natural and functional ingredients, to future food technology, new business models, packaging design, marketing and brand management.

In addition, a Premium Business Base offers visitors their own private meeting area that can be used to arrange meetings with new and existing contacts.

Briony Mansell-Lewis, Food Matters Live Director, said: “We are very pleased to offer Match at this year’s Food Matters Live, which presents a fantastic opportunity to meet thousands of business professionals from across the food and drink industry.”

Food Matters Live is the UK’s only cross-sector event to bring together government ministers, business leaders, industry and health experts to address the increasingly critical relationship between food, health and nutrition.

Food Matters Live is free to attend, including entry to the conference, seminars and all visitor attractions. Simply register at www.foodmatterslive.com

Now in its fourth year, Food Matters Live takes place on 21-23 November 2017 at London’s ExCeL.

Register yourself and your colleagues for this unique event, which is free to attend and brings together the food and drink industry, retailers, foodservice providers, government, and those working in nutrition and health at https://food-matters-live-2017-visitor.reg.buzz/

For further information

Rachel Rowe

Food Matters Live

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

+44 (0) 20 3735 5961

+44 (0) 750 744 0395

Food Matters Live celebrates food innovation as you’ve never seen it before with the launch of 10 new exciting Awards.

Food Matters Live is delighted to announce these new Awards to celebrate inspiring innovation and creativity from across the food and drink industry.

Open to exhibitors and registered visitors, the Awards reflect the themes at the heart of Food Matters Live. They make the important connections across all elements of the food and drink supply chain – from innovative product development, ground-breaking science and technology through to packaging design and consumer marketing strategies.

Whatever it is that is making your innovative food or drink product, ingredient or initiative a commercial success, this is an opportunity to gain recognition for your brand, business or client.

Food Matters Live is the only three-day event that brings together a cross-sector community of passionate, industry experts – those at the cutting-edge of innovation - at London’s ExCeL on 21-23 November .

By launching these new Awards, Food Matters Live will shine a spotlight on the innovation behind the growth of ever healthier, natural and organic, sustainable and ‘better for you’ food products defining the future food and drink landscape.

The categories for the new Awards are:

• Innovative ‘Better for you’ product of the year

• Most innovative natural and organic product

• Most innovative food to go product

• Best natural ingredient for health and wellbeing

• Best functional ingredient for health and wellbeing

• Sustainability initiative of the year

• Best food and drink process or technology

• Most innovative packaging design of the year

• Marketing campaign of the year

• New food and drink product of the year

Each entry requires a summary showcasing why it fits the category, what is particularly distinctive, innovative or creative about it and the commercial success achieved so far, along with images or video clips to illustrate.

Briony Mansell-Lewis, Director, Food Matters Live, said: “We are delighted to launch these awards to celebrate inspirational innovation across the food and drink supply chain and provide a valuable platform for the industry to come together and recognise outstanding achievements and entrepreneurship.”

The cost of entering is £234 per entry (inclusive of VAT) or £114 (inclusive of VAT) for a business of less than two years old.

Entries close on 15 September, with a shortlist to be announced on 16 October.

The winners will be revealed on 22 November at 16:15 in the conference theatre at Food Matters Live and will be followed by a drinks reception.

The Awards are open to exhibitors and registered visitors. Visitors can register for free entry at https://food-matters-live-2017-visitor.reg.buzz/

Now in its fourth year, Food Matters Live takes place on 21-23 November 2017 at London’s ExCeL.

Register yourself and your colleagues for this unique event, which is free to attend and brings together the food and drink industry, retailers, foodservice providers, government, and those working in nutrition and health at https://food-matters-live-2017-visitor.reg.buzz/

In addition to an extensive exhibition, Food Matters Live offers a multi-stream seminar programme and main stage conference, featuring 400 speakers covering wide-ranging topics – from the latest food and public health policies to improving the availability and delivery of free-from food and drink, latest trends in sustainable retailing, packaging design and exemplar brand strategies.

For further information

Contact: Chris Brinkworth

Food Matters Live

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The University of Nottingham and Brakes are among the winners at the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Awards. Nottingham won the University of the Year MSC certified fish, while Brakes won the Fish Supplier of the Year category for the fourth consecutive year. The award is in recognition of Brakes' ongoing commitment to sourcing and promoting the largest range of MSC-certified products in UK foodservice.

It now offers caterers 165 MSC certified products. Andrew Crawford, category manager for fish and seafood at Brakes, said: "We're delighted that our efforts in responsibly sourcing fish and seafood have once again been recognised by the MSC. We're constantly looking for opportunities to expand our range of MSC certified products, both by converting existing products in our range to MSC certified raw material and by launch- ing brand new products. "So far this year we've converted around 30 cod lines to using MSC certified fish; our innovative new products include a Mac & Cheese Smoked Haddock MSC Fish Cake and Hand-Battered MSC Cod Fillet. Almost 50% of our fish and seafood range is MSC certified we're incredibly proud of this, and we'll continue to build our range around this focus.

This award emphasises our position as a company leading the way for the foodservice industry, setting the standard in the provision of responsibly sourced fish and seafood."

We have a new mega (but still quite quick) survey for the Fruit and Veg framework. One bit asks for your feedback on TUCO suppliers you are using, and another asks for your feedback regarding the new framework due to start next year. If you have a spare 5 minutes and you haven’t already completed this survey, we would be grateful for your comments. Please click the link below:

More...

On 29th August 2017, Our Cow Molly have kindly agreed to host a tour of their farm which will give TUCO members the Chance to meet farmers and the cows producing great tasty free range milk and find more about purchasing ethical milk.

The programme for the day is as follows:

Time

Event

10.30

Registration and coffee

11.00

Welcome and introduction from Eddie Andrew & Free Range Dairy

11.15

Tour of the milk processing facility on the farm

11.45

Farm walk to meet the cows and discuss the farming system

12.30

Presentations from TUCO, Our Cow Molly, Free Range Dairy

13.00

Lunch and discussion

14.00

Depart

For more information or to book onto this event, please email Category Manager This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Call 0161 713 3422.